The present invention relates to DC-to-DC power converters and, more particularly, to novel high-frequency DC-DC power converters utilizing a single, primary-side power switching device, while employing all of the circuit parasitic elements, and achieving high efficiency and small size.
It is well known to provide power circuitry for converting an input DC potential to a different output DC potential by utilizing an oscillatory circuit operating at a relatively high frequency. It is highly desirable to utilize a high circuit-operating frequency to reduce reactive component sizes and therefore reduce the size of the overall power supply. It is therefore desirable to not only provide a high-frequency converter circuit topology, but to also provide such a converter circuit topology which: is relatively simple (i.e. has relatively few components, all of which are realizable with non-ideal, or "real", components); is easy to control (e.g. has all driver circuitry referenced to a ground, or common, potential); and places reasonably low electrical stress on the converter components. It is also desirable that any chosen power converter topology also be able to operate over a reasonable range of input voltages and output loads (i.e. operates continuously from a 0%, or no-load, condition to a 100%, or full-load, condition). All of these goals are to be met in a relatively simple circuit topology utilizing a single-ended (single primary-side power switching device) topology.